At 17, Barton played the popular Marissa Cooper on the hit TV series “The O.C.” Her fame skyrocketed and so did the pressure. At the time, she was often criticized for being too thin and she developed body image issues, she said.

“I was really young and just had not filled out at all,” Barton told People. “Not everybody stays the same body type. It was always, ‘She’s too skinny, she must be sick.’ Then it was, ‘she’s too big.’ I was never the right weight.”

Barton, now 27, said her weight was not the only issue back then. She began partying hard and in 2007 she was arrested for DUI. Then in 2009, she hit her lowest point and ended up in the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center psychiatric ward under an involuntary hold after she threatened suicide.

“I was never suicidal,” she told People magazine. “I was just overworked and depressed. But one slip of the tongue in a heightened moment and you find yourself in that situation.”

Today, she is in a healthier space and her rock-bottom moments are behind her. She shot a television pilot, “The Gutsy Guy,” and has a new film, “I Will Follow You Into The Dark.”

“I needed to take this time for me,” Barton said. “I’ve learned a lot. I’m stronger now and excited for what’s ahead.”

Online commenters wished her well.

“I always loved Misha and felt bad for her when she was struggling,” one poster wrote. “I could tell that a lot of it came from the pressures and temptations of Hollywood. It seemed as though they chewed her up and then spit her out. Good for her! I wish her success and healthy living! :)"

Another poster wrote: “Good to hear about her. I hope her career flourishes once again.”